


maybe we found love (right where we are)

by byungari



Category: NU'EST, Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, M/M, ambiguous time skips because that's how i roll, dumb gay boys being dumb and gay, lots of other ships are mentioned but you'll miss if you blink, rise ongdong rise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-07-17
Packaged: 2019-10-20 16:20:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17625671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/byungari/pseuds/byungari
Summary: In which Seongwoo is initially terrified of Dongho and his muscles, but comes to a realization that maybe, just maybe, Dongho isn't as scary as Seongwoo's mind has made him out to be.Or, alternatively: Seongwoo is definitely really fucking attracted to Dongho, but refuses to admit it because he is an idiot.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shelflife](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shelflife/gifts).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dedicated to the light of my life for always putting up with me and my dumb and occasionally angsty prompt ideas. love you lots.
> 
>  
> 
> **the football that's mentioned exactly one (1) time in this fic is not the american football  
> **this is, like the rest of my works, Not edited

Seongwoo will never admit it, but he’s terrified of the department’s teddy bear known as Kang Dongho.

“Why?” Minhyun gives him a weird look as they eat their lunch. “Dongho can’t even kill spiders without crying.”

While that may be true (Seongwoo had witnessed it in person during one of their club meetings), Dongho is still in the possession of arms that could probably snap Seongwoo in half.

“I wonder,” Seongwoo says instead.

“You should get to know him,” Minhyun suggests, with feeling. “He’s a really good guy.”

“I’ve heard.” Seongwoo knows he’s being an idiot, being scared of Dongho because of his gigantic muscles, but that’s just who he was as a person. “I’ll try. Maybe.”

Minhyun rolls his eyes but doesn’t say anything else, knowing that that’s probably the best he’d get out of Seongwoo.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The first time Seongwoo sees Dongho is when they’re in their orientation groups. Their student mentor, a smiley senior named Yoon Jisung, is telling them about all the extracurricular clubs that their university has, but all Seongwoo can focus on is Dongho’s _arms_.

(And Jesus fucking Christ—how is it possible for anyone’s shoulders to be _that_ broad?)

If Dongho notices Seongwoo’s (fearful) staring, he pretends he doesn’t and nods along to whatever Jisung is saying.

“You’re staring.” Minhyun and nudges Seongwoo to keep walking when he stays put as everybody else starts moving to follow Jisung. “Do you have a crush already? University hasn’t even started yet, Seongwoo. This is a new low even for you.”

That snaps Seongwoo out of it and he elbows Minhyun in the stomach in retaliation. “I don’t have a crush,” he hisses as quietly as he can. “I was spacing out.”

Minhyun’s face tells Seongwoo that his friend does not believe him; not even a little bit. “Right. Okay. Whatever you say, Ong.”

Sometimes, Seongwoo wonders if he’s just easy to read, or if Minhyun knows him too well.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“I hear you have a crush already.”

Seongwoo curses Minhyun to Hell and back. “I don’t.”

“Of course you don’t.” Sungwoon nods as if he believes Seongwoo, which, for the record, he does not. “Right.”

“I don’t,” Seongwoo whines a little, because maybe if he acts cute enough Sungwoon will buy lunch for his cute junior. “Minhyun is a lying liar who lies.”

“Stop that,” Sungwoon orders. “You’re being gross. What do you want for lunch?”

Seongwoo gives himself a mental fist bump, because _score_. “Donkatsu?”

“Okay. So, tell me about your crush.”

Or maybe not. “I suddenly have so many things to do,” Seongwoo tries to escape, but Sungwoon is too fast for him. “How are your reflexes so fast?”

“Try dating Daniel, and you will see,” Sungwoon retorts, then pauses. “Wait, no. Do not try to date Daniel. He is mine.”

“I will not try to date Daniel,” Seongwoo assures Sungwoon. “That is not on my to-do list. Like at all.”

Sungwoon nods in satisfaction. “Good. So, your crush?”

“I don’t have a crush,” Seongwoo insists, not sure why Sungwoon is insisting on talking about Seongwoo’s non-existent crush. “I really don’t.”

The look on Sungwoon’s face is pensive as he tries to figure out if Seongwoo is telling the truth. When it’s clear that the younger isn’t lying, he just shrugs and drops the topic.

“Alright, then.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

When Seongwoo finds out that Dongho, like him, is part of the music department, he’s shocked.

Judging somebody by their outward appearance isn’t something Seongwoo does on a normal basis; in fact, he tries hard _not_ to judge anybody without getting to know them first.

But when he had seen Dongho, he had been so sure that Dongho would be one of those guys on an athletics scholarship while majoring in something like business or maybe even sports science.

(Personally, Seongwoo thinks that Dongho would look good in football uniform, or maybe even a basketball one, but those thoughts are for him and him alone.)

And so, when he sees Dongho sitting in one of the seats in the lecture hall when Seongwoo walks in for Music Theory 101, he almost walks right out, thinking that maybe he had gone to the wrong lecture hall.

“What are you doing?” It’s only Nayoung’s weird looks that has Seongwoo realizing that no, he is in fact in the right lecture hall, and that yes, that is Kang Dongho sitting and waiting for the professor to start the lecture like everybody else.

“Bathroom,” Seongwoo tries to salvage whatever image he has left. “Save me a seat?”

Nayoung shrugs, accepting the shitty excuse. “Okay.”

If he sends a series of keyboard smashes to Minhyun, then well, that’s his business, isn’t it?

 

**hwangcheongie**

What the fuck

 

**ongcheongie**

SLDJKFSLFKSL!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

* * *

 

 

It’s not until the end of their first year at university that Seongwoo actually gets to meet Dongho instead of just staring from afar.

“This is Dongho.” Jonghyun claps Dongho’s shoulder as he introduces the two of them. Seongwoo gives a nervous smile. “We’re roommates. Play nice.” And with that, Jonghyun stalks off to greet the rest of the crowd, leaving Seongwoo and Dongho alone.

Dongho studies Seongwoo for a second before holding his hand out for Seongwoo to shake. “Nice to meet you. We were in the same orientation group with Minhyun, right?”

“Yeah.” Seongwoo doesn’t put it past Minhyun to have possibly told Dongho about Seongwoo’s weird staring during orientation. “I’m surprised you remember.”

Dongho shrugs. “I wouldn’t have, normally,” he admits, “but it’s a little hard to forget the guy all the girls were tripping over to get a look at.”

Ah, yes. That had also been a thing, Seongwoo muses to himself. It had been a little scary, and quite frankly, Seongwoo isn’t even sure how their upperclassmen had even heard about Seongwoo before the start of university.

(He’d later learn from Gaeun that somebody had posted a picture of Seongwoo on their university’s ulzzang page, and that Seongwoo actually had quite a few fangirls.)

“We also had music theory together last term, I think.” Dongho squints a little, trying to remember if it really had been Seongwoo. “Right?”

“We did.” Seongwoo nods in confirmation.

“You always walked in ten minutes late.”

Seongwoo grimaces. “I did,” he confirms reluctantly.

Dongho cracks a grin at that, and Seongwoo thinks that maybe, just maybe, Dongho isn’t as scary as his mind had made him out to be.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Their second year brings a whirlwind of emotions on Seongwoo’s part, and an almost apathetic nonchalance on Dongho’s side.

See, growing up, Seongwoo has never has any problems with obtaining the affection of, well, anybody. His family had always doted on him for being the youngest, he had been relatively popular in high school, and people had just seemed to flock Seongwoo like bees to a flower.

Affection had been something given to Seongwoo almost naturally, and so he isn’t sure how dole out affection to someone who seems so _nonchalant_ about Seongwoo.

“What do I do?” he whispers. His voice is bordering panic mode and Jaehwan gives him a barely concealed look of disbelief mixed with some degree of sympathy.

“Confess, maybe?” Jaehwan suggests as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. It is not, Seongwoo thinks. “It sounds like you have a crush on him.”

“I don’t,” Seongwoo hisses. “He could snap me in half with his bare hands.”

Jaehwan pauses for a second, then says: “Do you have a strength kink or something?”

The pillow Seongwoo hurls at Jaehwan is too soft to do any real damage, Seongwoo observes in disappointment.

 

 

* * *

 

 

They don’t share any classes together that term, thankfully, and Seongwoo likes to believe that God had really answered his prayers.

That doesn’t mean they don’t run into each other, however. It’s inevitable, Seongwoo laments silently as he’s forced to eat lunch with Dongho, Minhyun, and Jonghyun, when they literally share the same circle of friends.

“How are midterms treating you?” Jonghyun asks and Seongwoo makes a face.

“I’m pretty sure I bombed my stats final,” he sighs. “I hate math.”

“I told you to take it with my last year so that we could study together,” Minhyun reminds him with a roll of his eyes. “This is completely on you.”

“There was no room in my schedule,” Seongwoo scowls. “Anyways, it’s not like you did much better in the class, anyways. Shall I remind you of what you got on your first exam?”

Minhyun makes a face and shoves Seongwoo’s away with is tiny hands. “Shut up.”

Dongho snorts and Jonghyun shakes his head.

This isn’t so bad, Seongwoo thinks to himself as they dissolve into small talk. Seongwoo even laughs at a joke Dongho tells.

He could probably live with this, if he dares to be optimistic.

 

 

* * *

 

 

He cannot live like this.

“What the fuck,” Seongwoo hisses as he takes in the sight in front of him. “What the _fuck_ ,” he repeats, with feeling, because he is eloquent like that.

Minhyun gives him a bewildered look when Seongwoo shoves past everyone and makes a beeline towards the drinks table. “What?”

Seongwoo doesn’t let himself answer until he downs two shots in ten seconds flat. “He has tattoos.” He flails his arms in Dongho’s general vicinity. “Why didn’t anyone _warn_ me?”

“Um, we literally had this conversation like three days ago with the man himself.” Minhyun sometimes genuinely worries for Seongwoo. “He literally asked us if he should get another one or not.”

“Yeah, but I thought he meant that he was getting his first one,” Seongwoo groaned. “But he has _three_?”

Minhyun shrugs. “Go ask him about it.”

Maybe over my dead body, Seongwoo thinks silently.

He takes another shot (or two) before gathering the courage to join the crowd. Seongwoo knows he looks attractive tonight, and he knows he looks even more attractive when he’s dancing, and so that’s what he does.

It’s only when people start getting handsy that Seongwoo decides that it’s time for a break (and maybe another drink). After being convinced by Nayoung and her devil girlfriend, Kyulkyung, that taking three jello shots with her would be a good idea, Seongwoo spots Minhyun leaning against the wall, talking to someone, and so he starts walking towards his friend.

“Minhyun,” he slurs and trips over his own feet and stumbles against Minhyun. “Hi.”

“You’re drunk,” Minhyun deadpans. “Please go get some water.”

“No,” Seongwoo whines. “No water.”

Minhyun stifles a sigh and says something that Seongwoo doesn’t catch to the person he had been talking to, and hands Seongwoo off to said person while he walks off, presumably in search for some water.

“Where did he go?” Seongwoo blinks when he registers that Minhyun is not there anymore. “Minhyun disappeared!”

“He went to go get some water for you.” Seongwoo turns around and stumbles backwards when he sees that it’s Dongho. “Whoa, be careful. Are you okay?”

“Um.” Seongwoo squints when he realizes that he’s seeing Dongho’s fucking tattoos up close. “I have to go.”

Dongho raises an eyebrow at that. “You’re drunk,” he repeats Minhyun’s earlier statement, though he sounds less exasperated than Minhyun had. “You might get hurt.”

Seongwoo hiccups. “S’not my first party,” he informs Dongho as if that’s the point here. “I think,” he hiccups again, “I’ll be fine.”

“You sure?” Dongho frowns a little and his eyes drift off to the side, and something that he sees makes him frown even more. “How about you stay with me until Minhyun comes back with some water, yeah?”

Seongwoo tilts his head and turns back in an attempt to see what had made Dongho frown like that, but in his drunken haze he sees nothing.

“Come on.” Dongho tugs on Seongwoo’s arms gently. “Let’s go find somewhere to sit while we wait. I’m sure Minhyun is more than capable of finding us.”

Every fiber in Seongwoo’s body is screaming “no” out of self-preservation, but drunk Seongwoo clearly does not give a fuck. “Okay,” he nods and lets Dongho lead him to a quiet corner to wait for Minhyun.

Dongho’s hands are warm and surprisingly soft, Seongwoo thinks as he tries to fight the sudden fatigue that overtakes him. He doesn’t even know when he had started to lean into Dongho’s side while falling asleep, but Seongwoo wakes up the next morning feeling oddly warm.

He wonders how he had even managed to get to an unoccupied bed and dismisses it by assuming that Minhyun or maybe Jonghyun had been the ones responsible.

(Minhyun knows otherwise and even has the pictures to prove it, but he decides to save them for later use.)

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Fuck.” Seongwoo slams his pencil down onto the table and promptly begins to freak the fuck out. “Fuck.”

“That is our dining table.” Minhyun gives him a disapproving frown from the living room. “Have some respect. It’s mahogany.”

“I have a crush,” Seongwoo says, completely ignoring Minhyun. “Fuck.”

Minhyun snorts and turns back to continue studying, deeming his notes more interesting than Seongwoo’s Gay Panic™ that is a year and a half too late.

“Minhyun, please pay attention to me,” Seongwoo snaps. “I will die without it.”

“You are not Tinkerbell,” Minhyun retorts. “Try again.”

Seongwoo groans and lets his head drop onto the table. “What do I do?” he despairs. “I have a crush! I have actual feelings!”

“Welcome to the real world,” Minhyun remarks dryly as he turned the page.

“What do I do?” Seongwoo repeats, with feeling.

“Confess, maybe,” Minhyun suggests, and Seongwoo has a weird sense of déjà vu.

“Unrealistic,” he says. “Try again.”

Seongwoo can’t see, but Minhyun rolls his eyes so hard that he thinks he sees his brain. “You’ve been crushing on him since orientation. Don’t you think it’s about time you confessed?”

That gets Seongwoo to sit up and he frowns at his best friend and (unfortunately) roommate. “What? You don’t even know who I am talking about.”

Minhyun looks up and stares at Seongwoo. “You have a crush on Dongho.”

Seongwoo blinks. “No, I don’t,” he denies despite declaring to the world not five minutes ago that he does, indeed, have a crush.

Minhyun throws down his notes and stands up, storming out of the living room and into his room. “I give up,” he yells. “Figure it out on your own.”

Seongwoo wonders if Minhyun has finally lost it.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Minhyun hyung sent me,” Jaehwan says in lieu of greeting when Seongwoo opens the door to the younger. “I come bearing gifts.”

Seongwoo eyes the bag of food in Jaehwan’s arms and wordlessly opens the door wider so that Jaehwan can come in.

“I hear you finally admitted you have a crush,” Jaehwan starts as they start setting up the table. “Congratulations on taking the first step towards your Great Gay Awakening.”

“I got my first boyfriend in my second year of high school,” Seongwoo reminds Jaehwan, who just shrugs.

“It sounds more official when I say that, though,” Jaehwan insists. “So, how’s the crush coming along? Minhyun hyung just kind of screamed into my pillow when I asked him.”

Seongwoo grunts in response and Jaehwan nods as if he understands what that grunt had meant.

Which, knowing Jaehwan, might be true.

“I see,” Jaehwan says. “That is progress compared to last time.”

“What do I do?” Seongwoo pokes at his food with a pout.

Jaehwan rolls his eyes. “It’s really not that hard,” he tells Seongwoo with an infinite amount of patience that Seongwoo does not possess.

“Really?” Seongwoo deadpans.

“Okay, it might be a little hard for you,” Jaehwan admits. He scrunches his nose. “Now that I think about it, you’ve never been the first one to confess, huh.”

Seongwoo responds by pushing his food to the side so that he could bury his face into his arms. “How do you do it?”

“Do what?” Jaehwan asks as he slurps his soup.

“Confess,” Seongwoo whines.

“You just do it,” Jaehwan says sagely.

“I can’t.”

“Yes, you can.”

“No, I can’t,” Seongwoo insists, and Jaehwan huffs out an impatient sigh.

“Just confess, dumbass.” Jaehwan sounds almost as exasperated as Minhyun does and Seongwoo takes back what he said about Jaehwan having an infinite amount of patience.

“I am your hyung,” he scowls.

“Dumbass hyung,” Jaehwan corrects himself. “My bad.”

Seongwoo does not know why he even bothers.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Um.”

Seongwoo wants to say that progress has been made, but from the looks he’s getting from both Minhyun and Jaehwan, that is apparently not the case here.

“Yes?” Dongho is looking at him expectantly and Seongwoo wonders if God would be willing to send down lightning to hit him. “Seongwoo?”

“I have to go,” Seongwoo squeaks out and runs out of the dining hall, and he thinks he hears a faint, “That dumbass,” but he’s not too sure.

When he gets a text from Minhyun later that day, he deflates and both Eunbi and Nayoung give him weird looks.

“What’s wrong with him this time?” Eunbi asks in what she probably thinks is a whisper.

“Who knows.” Nayoung shakes her head.

“I hate my life,” Seongwoo laments. Eunbi and Nayoung wisely ignore him.

 

**hwangcheongie**

Dongho thinks you hate him.

Good job, dumbass.

 

**ongcheongie**

welp

go me

 

**hwangcheongie**

Dumbass

 

 

* * *

 

 

“This is an intervention,” Jaehwan declares as he bursts into Seongwoo’s room. The owner of the room jumps from where he’s been sitting, attempting to get some work done, and stares as Park Jihoon and Park Woojin, the two ducklings that Jaehwan seems to have adopted recently, trot in after their “mentor.”

(Silently, Seongwoo wonders if it’s _okay_ for Jaehwan to be mentoring anybody, but Minhyun had just shrugged off Seongwoo’s worries with a, “Better him than you.”

He had no retaliation for that, unfortunately.)

“What?” asks Seongwoo. “An intervention for what?”

“For your lack of ability to emote,” Jihoon pipes up. When Seongwoo turns his gaze towards him, he shrinks back a little. “Or, that’s what Jaehwan hyung said, at least.”

“Thank you, Jihoon.” Jaehwan pats Jihoon on the head and the tiny first-year beams. Oh, God. “This is an intervention to do something about your tragic feelings for Dongho hyung.”

Seongwoo grumbles and turns back to his notes and textbook. “What feelings,” he mumbles under his breath. “I eat feelings for breakfast.”

The (uninvited) trio make themselves comfortable, with Jaehwan laying down on Seongwoo’s bed and Jihoon and Woojin seating themselves on the floor in front of the bed.

“He likes you too, you know,” Jaehwan starts off casually, and Seongwoo’s head snaps up towards his bed. “What, did you not know?” Jaehwan sounds genuinely confused, and Seongwoo thinks that if anybody is confused in this situation, it should be him.

“What?” he asks, because _what_. Did he hear that correctly?

“I don’t think he did,” Woojin says quietly while observing Seongwoo’s growing panic that clearly shows on his face. “He looks really confused.”

“Seongwoo hyung looks confused every time I see him,” Jihoon informs Woojin. “I do not think him being confused is anything new.”

Not even Seongwoo’s glare is enough to wipe that oddly proud beam off of Jihoon’s face.

“Back to the subject,” Jaehwan interrupts. “Seongwoo hyung, did you really not know? You spent the past three and a half years pining after Dongho hyung, and you didn’t even know that he liked you back?”

“No?” Seongwoo is still not sure if his ears are working properly. “What the fuck?”

Jaehwan rolls his eyes and sits up. “You two are the dumbest idiots to ever walk on this Earth,” he declares and ignores Jihoon’s, “Hyung, that’s redundant.”

“We are your hyungs,” Seongwoo protests.

“You can earn my respect back when you stop being idiots, then,” Jaehwan retaliates, and Seongwoo shuts his mouth.

Well, so much for that, then.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Did you know?” Seongwoo kicks at Minhyun’s shin, and the latter makes a noise of protest before kicking back.

“Know what? Why did you kick me?” Minhyun complains as he rubs his shin. “What did I do? I didn’t even leave the apartment today.”

Seongwoo flops onto the sofa and frowns when he sees that Minhyun is watching Transformers again. “That Dongho likes me.”

Minhyun pauses from where he had been shifting to make himself comfortable again. “Who told you?”

“Jaehwan.”

“Ah.” Minhyun nods in understanding. “Explains the frustrated glares he’s been directing to you and Dongho these days, then.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Seongwoo pouts and he steals a pillow from Minhyun’s side of the couch. “What kind of best friend are you?”

Minhyun snorts. “Not really my secret to tell, is it? I’m surprised Jaehwan even told you. We all agreed to keep our mouths shut and pray that the two of you would figure it out yourself.”

“He thought that I already knew,” Seongwoo admits. “I don’t think he would’ve told me otherwise.”

“Jaehwan has too much faith in humanity.”

“That is very true.”

It’s quiet after that as Minhyun focuses on the movie and Seongwoo gets lost in his thoughts. He thinks of when he had first met Dongho, when he had been scared (and possibly attracted?) of his broad shoulders and gigantic arms, to now, with the tentative friendship(?) that they’ve formed.

He thinks of the way Dongho giggles like an idiot at some joke that Minhyun tells, and the way his eyes seem to shine when talking about his latest compositions.

He thinks of the way Dongho is actually so soft like a literal teddy bear, but he won’t hesitate to intervene when he sees somebody in trouble.

(Seongwoo thinks of the time they had all gone to a club in downtown, and how Dongho had put himself in between him and some asshole who thought it would be okay to try and force a drink onto Seongwoo, and the way Dongho had wrapped his arms around Seongwoo’s shoulders to lead him away from said asshole.

Dongho hadn’t left his side for the rest of the night, and Seongwoo remembers how _warm_ he had felt in Dongho’s arms.)

“I like Dongho,” Seongwoo says out loud, and Minhyun barely spares him a glance.

“I know,” he says.

“I’m going to confess.”

Minhyun smirks at that. “Good.”

Seongwoo gives himself a mental pat on the back.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“I like you.”

Dongho looks up from his laptop and stares at Seongwoo, who is staring back unwaveringly.

“Oh,” Dongho says. “I like you too.”

Seongwoo beams at that and Dongho ducks to hide his smile.

His friend would be proud, Seongwoo thinks to himself later that night when the two of them leave the library with their fingers laced together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there are a lot of gaps that i could've probably filled in but i didn't because i was gonna make this two chapters with the 2nd chapter being from dongho's pov, but the reality is i probably won't bc that's just who i am as a person, but also because i kind of like how this turned out and i don't think a second part is really needed  
> (if enough people want it, though, i'll consider it. maybe...)  
> (edit: i was convinced to write the second part)
> 
> kudos and comments make my day!! uwu  
> i hope you enjoyed~
> 
>  
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/iridescent__ong) | [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/gyulhyuck)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dongho has a crush.
> 
> It's going well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> long time no see! lol !
> 
> this one jumps around a lot because it's supposed to fill in the gaps kind of from the first chapter and i just wanted an excuse to have someone pine over Seongwoo  
> i also threw in some bare minimum minhwan bc i'm too trash not to
> 
> enjoy!

It’s the cluster of moles that catch Dongho’s attention at first, despite the number of people crowding around the poor guy, trying to get a good look at him. When he squints, he sees that they kind of resemble constellations, and Dongho thinks to himself:

_Damn. That’s kind of cute._

 

 

* * *

 

 

The next time Dongho sees constellation-guy is when he’s sitting in the lecture hall, waiting for Music Theory 101 to start. Something seems to surprise him, and constellation-guy backpedals and walks out until the girl he had walked in with stops him and seems to question him. Dongho raises an eyebrow when constellation-guy seems to look directly at him for a second before rushing out of the lecture hall.

Huh. Interesting.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“I think there’s already someone on campus who hates me,” Dongho mentions one day when he’s grabbing lunch with Minki and Jonghyun. They both look up from their respective foods and give him weird looks.

“It has been like, a week since university started for us,” Minki reminds him, as if Dongho needs the reminder. “How did you get on someone’s bad side _already_?”

“I’m more concerned about the fact that Dongho is able to get on someone’s bad side at all,” Jonghyun says, sounding concerned. “What happened?”

Dongho just shrugs, because he honestly has no idea. “I don’t know. We were in the same orientation group, and it turns out I have music theory with the guy. But he looked at me for a second then walked right out of the lecture hall.”

Minki and Jonghyun look at each other then back at Dongho.

“Did you glare at him,” Minki asks in a serious tone.

“No,” Dongho protests. “I’ve never even talked to him.”

Jonghyun hums. “Maybe it wasn’t you he was looking at?” he suggests. “Or maybe he really had to use the bathroom.”

Dongho highly doubts it, but accepts Jonghyun’s attempts at logical reasoning.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Constellation-guy always walks in ten minutes late to music theory, and each time he seems to bring an excuse that’s weirder than the last.

Tuesdays and Thursdays at 13:10 mean Dongho can witness what excuse constellation-guy will use for the day, and it would be a lie to say Dongho doesn’t look forward to it every week.

“My goldfish died.” Constellation-guy sniffles so convincingly that Dongho wonders if he’s a theater student taking music theory for kicks and giggles, or maybe for core class requirements. “I had to hold a funeral for it in the bathroom before class.”

The professor snorts and just shakes her head. “Go take a seat.”

Constellation-guy beams rather happily for someone who had to supposedly flush their goldfish down the toilet and skips off to an empty seat. He never fails to amuse Dongho (and the rest of their section), and Dongho chuckles as he stares at the back of constellation-guy’s head.

He wonders what kind of excuse he would bring with him for their next lecture.

 

 

* * *

 

 

When Jonghyun introduces Dongho to constellation-guy, he wonders if Jonghyun knows that this is the guy that Dongho has been talking about almost all of last term.

“Play nice,” he tells the two of them before stalking off to go greet some more people, and Dongho studies constellation-guy, who he now knows as Seongwoo, and holds out a hand for Seongwoo to shake.

“Nice to meet you,” he greets. “We were in the same orientation group with Minhyun, right?”

Seongwoo takes Dongho’s hands and gives it a firm shake. His hands are a little clammy, but Dongho doesn’t pay attention to it and assumes it’s because of how hot it is in the apartment. “Yeah. I’m surprised you remember.”

 _A little hard to forget someone with a face like yours_ , Dongho thinks, but instead he says: “I wouldn’t have, normally,” he lies, “but it’s a little hard to forget the guy all the girls were tripping over to get a look at.”

Seongwoo turns a pretty shade of pink and Dongho feels his lips quirking up in a small smile.

“We also had music theory together last term, I think,” Dongho continues. “Right?” He knows it’s stupid to pretend that he doesn’t know who Seongwoo is, but this is just who he is as a person. Minki would be disappointed in him.

 _Sorry, Minki,_ Dongho thinks to himself.

“We did.” Seongwoo gives him a nod of confirmation.

“You always walked in ten minutes late.” Dongho has a small, unnoticeable smirk on his face and Seongwoo grimaces at the reminder.

“I did.”

Dongho grins widely at that and ignores the way his heart seems to give a tiny flutter at the way Seongwoo blushes.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Their circle of friends seem to merge at one point, because Dongho sees a lot more of Seongwoo during their first term of their second year than he did during the entirety of their first. Being around Seongwoo is fun, because despite the face that he has, Seongwoo is not afraid of making a fool of himself to make his friends laugh.

“He is greedy for gags,” Minhyun informs Dongho, who is laughing at the weird dance Seongwoo is doing with Minki. “It gets tiring.”

“I think it’s funny,” Dongho chuckles. “I am surprised, to be honest.”

Minhyun snorts. “Most people are.”

It’s a progression, the way Dongho starts falling for Seongwoo. He doesn’t even realize it until one morning, when he wakes up with the thought: Oh, I have a crush on Ong Seongwoo.

“I know,” Minhyun says flippantly when Dongho accidentally blurts it out. He’s lucky that Seongwoo hasn’t arrived yet.

“We all know,” Minki corrects unsympathetically. “You’re not exactly subtle, you know.”

Dongho is offended, because he thinks he’s been pretty good at hiding his feelings so far.

“I hate to say this, but Minki’s right.” Jonghyun at least sounds apologetic as he says that. “You’re kind of obvious.”

“They are out of chocolate milk,” Seongwoo declares as he sets his lunch down in the seat across from Dongho. “This is an outrage.”

Minhyun snorts and slides his half-finished chocolate milk over. “You are a child,” he informs Seongwoo, who sticks his tongue out in retaliation. Minhyun rolls his eyes when his statement is proven true.

The rest of lunch goes by just like that, and Dongho tries his best to not make his feelings so obvious, but it doesn’t work, apparently, according to the looks he gets from both Jonghyun and Minki.

“Are you okay?” Seongwoo frowns at him slightly and Dongho flinches when Seongwoo leans in. “You’re acting a little off today.”

“Um.” Dongho blinks. “I’m fine. Just tired.”

Seongwoo hums and digs through his bag for something. When he finds what he’s looking for, he lets out a small noise of victory and Dongho dies a little inside at how cute it is.

“Here.” Seongwoo hands Dongho two pieces of candy. “It’s sweet mint flavored. It helps me stay awake when I’m tired.”

“Oh.” Dongho takes the offered candy. “Thanks, Seongwoo.”

“No problem.” Seongwoo beams at Dongho, who thinks he’s going to melt from how adorable Seongwoo is and Minhyun, who is behind the two of them, hides his snort in a poorly concealed cough.

“Losers,” Minhyun coughs into the crook of his arm, and Minki chokes on his water while Jonghyun gives them both a disapproving glare.

Sometimes, Dongho finds himself genuinely wondering why he ever decided to become friends with the devil known as Hwang Minhyun.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Your gay is showing,” Minki comments as Dongho stares at Seongwoo leaving the library to go to his next lecture with a small pout on his face.

“Shut up,” Dongho says when Seongwoo disappears from his sight. “Minhyun, stop laughing at me!”

“You make it hard for me not to,” Minhyun chortles. “You are so obvious.” He emphasizes the “so,” as if Dongho needs the reminder of how obvious he is. “You’re lucky Seongwoo is just as dense and dumb as you are.”

Dongho isn’t 100% sure what that means, but if Minhyun is saying that Seongwoo hasn’t (miraculously) caught wind of Dongho’s ever-growing crush on him, then Dongho will thank God and thank his lucky stars.

“I can’t believe he doesn’t _realize_ ,” Minki grumbles as he continues to work on his designs for class. “Seongwoo’s an idiot.”

“They’re _both_ idiots.” Minhyun shakes his head like a mother who is disappointed in her children, and if anyone tries to accuse Dongho of throwing the leftover fries he snuck into their study room in the library at the big-headed demon, then he’ll vehemently deny it and claim that his hand had just slipped.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Dongho frowns as he supports Seongwoo’s weight. When he looks to the side and sees someone eyeing Seongwoo up and down hungrily, his frown gets even bigger and he gently coaxes Seongwoo to go sit down with him somewhere.

Somewhere quiet, preferably, and without the assholes who are starting at Seongwoo like he’s some piece of meat.

As they wait for Minhyun to come find them, Seongwoo starts leaning against Dongho even more, and within 5 minutes the music student with a constellation on his face is asleep, head resting on Dongho’s shoulder.

Dongho turns red and he sits as still as he can, not wanting to wake Seongwoo up. When Minhyun finds them, glass of water in hand, he raises an eyebrow at the sight and hands Dongho the water cup.

Then, he wordlessly gets out his phone and snaps a picture before Dongho can do anything about it.

“This is gold,” Minhyun snickers as he sends the picture to the group chat that they’re in with Jonghyun, Minki, and Aron, who is a fourth-year student. “Oh, man. This is great.”

Dongho hisses but can’t do anything about it because of Seongwoo, but he vows to get Minhyun back later. That stupid, big-headed demon.

“We should get him to a bed, though,” Minhyun muses as he observes the two of them. “Can you carry him?”

If he is being honest, Dongho could probably bench press Seongwoo’s weight (and maybe more), but he doesn’t say that and just nods in response to Minhyun’s question. He carefully lifts Seongwoo up and holds him bridal style, glaring when Minhyun takes pictures while snickering.

“Stop taking pictures and lead the way,” Dongho hisses.

“Okay, okay.” Minhyun holds up his hands in an ‘I surrender’ gesture and leads Dongho through the crowd in search of an empty bedroom.

Minki pops out of nowhere and points to an open door. “That bedroom is empty, and it locks from the inside. It should be good. Are any of you guys staying?”

Minhyun thinks for a bit and nods. “Yeah, I think I’ll just stay the night. Dongho?”

It’s tempting, but Dongho shakes his head. “Nah. I’m going to head home. Are you staying Minki?”

“I might go crash at Sewoon’s place,” Minki tells him. “I’ll text you.”

“Okay.” Dongho nods. He sets Seongwoo down on the bed and tucks him in, ignoring Minhyun’s and Minki’s snickers. “I’ll see you guys later.”

“Bye.” Minhyun waves tiredly and makes himself comfortable in the other bed. “Get home safe.”

Dongho gives him a salute and leaves the room with Minki, giving one last glance at a sleeping Seongwoo.

“You are so whipped,” Minki whispers.

“Shut up,” Dongho replies. Minki smirks.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“What are you doing?”

Dongho stares down at Seongwoo, who’s crouched in the corner of the quiet floor of their library and eating a… banana.

“Um.” The two stare at each other in silence for ten seconds before Seongwoo breaks the eye contact to stare down at his banana. “Studying.”

Dongho is confused. “… I see. You do know that food isn’t—”

“Shh!” Seongwoo quickly shushes him and peeks around Dongho to make sure the scary head librarian isn’t coming. “You’re going to get me caught.”

“Why are you even eating the banana here?” Dongho asks, crouching so that he can be eye-level with Seongwoo instead of staring down at him. “You know there are benches outside, right?”

Seongwoo pouts and Dongho dies a little inside. “Yeah, but it’s cold.”

Dongho pauses. “That’s valid.”

Somebody clears their throat from behind them and both Dongho and Seongwoo freeze in panic, and he watches as Seongwoo’s eyes grow wide in fear and Dongho feels the shivers go down his back. He knows they’re fucked before he even turns around and sees Eunbi staring down at them with an unimpressed look in her eyes.

“Hi,” Seongwoo greets meekly.

“Hi,” Eunbi says flatly. “Food isn’t allowed in the library.”

Seongwoo flinches and Dongho winces, feeling sorry for him, until Eunbi says:

“Both of you, out until you finish that banana.”

Dongho’s jaw drops. “But I’m not even eating!”

“You’re an accomplice,” Eunbi says. “You’re sitting in front of him and watching him eat. That makes you just as guilty.”

There are flaws in her logic, Dongho wants to say, but he wisely keeps his mouth shut. One does not simply contradict Eunbi and expect to live. He and Seongwoo sadly stand up from the corner and Dongho waits for Seongwoo to gather up his notes so that they can leave together.

“You two can come back and have your little library date after he finishes that banana!” Eunbi calls out from behind them. Quietly, though, because they’re on the quiet floor of the library.

Seongwoo’s ears turn red and Dongho turns his head just slightly to give Eunbi an unamused look, which she ignores in favor of sending him a wink before walking off to see who else is breaking the rules.

“I wonder what it’s like being powerful,” Seongwoo muses, then immediately winces from the cold when they’re outside. Dongho doesn’t think much of it when he shrugs off his jacket and holds it out for Seongwoo to take. When he doesn’t take it, though, Dongho just sighs and throws it over Seongwoo’s shoulders himself.

“You can try asking Eunbi,” Dongho suggests when he’s convinced Seongwoo won’t try to throw his jacket back at him. “Though, I’m not sure if you can get an answer out of her without, you know, some emotional damage.”

Seongwoo shudders. “Yeah, no thanks.”

Dongho smirks.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“I have to go,” Seongwoo manages to squeak out before sprinting across the dining hall in his hurry to leave. Dongho is so shocked that he barely manages to hear Minhyun’s, “That dumbass,” comment.

“Does he hate me?” Dongho asks out loud, not really paying attention to his friends.

“No. Definitely not,” Jonghyun says at the same time Minhyun snorts and says, “You and I have very different definitions of the word _hate_.”

Dongho turns to them, feeling a little helpless. “Why’d he leave like that, then?”

Minki just sighs and throws an arm around Dongho’s shoulders, steering him towards the tables so they can sit down and eat. “Seongwoo is just stupid, and when you’re stupid, sometimes you make dumb decisions.”

“What?” Dongho gives Minki a confused look, because was that supposed to help?

“You’ll get what I mean when you’re older,” Minki coos and Dongho has to resist the urge to say that they’re the same age, though if going by the months, then Dongho is technically older.

“Ignore him,” Jonghyun says firmly. “Just give Seongwoo some time. He’ll come around.”

Dongho currently has approximately a hundred questions with zero answers, but he trusts Jonghyun, to a certain extent, so he leaves it at that.

“Traitor,” Minki mutters, shooting Jonghyun a betrayed look, vaguely resembling a kicked puppy.

Jonghyun wisely ignores Minki and starts eating his lunch while Minhyun furiously types away on his phone.

 

 

* * *

 

 

**Ong Seongwoo**

i don’t hate u btw

 

**Kang Dongho**

Oh.

That’s good to know.

 

**Ong Seongwoo**

yeah

this is awkward

 

**Kang Dongho**

Yeah just a little.

 

**Ong Seongwoo**

i’m going to go pretend this never happened and pretend i’m working on my paper

bye

 

**Kang Dongho**

Lol.

Bye. Good luck on your paper!

 

**Ong Seongwoo**

ty

:)

 

**Kang Dongho**

:)

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Why don’t you just confess first?” Minki asks one day when they’re gathered around the kitchen table, pretending to study and have their lives together when, in reality, Jonghyun is probably the only one who’s studying.

Probably.

(The sounds coming from his phone say otherwise, and Dongho’s pretty sure he can see the animations from the latest game Jonghyun is addicted to reflected in the latter’s eyes.)

“What are you talking about?” Dongho’s first line of defense is to play dumb and hope Minki will drop it. This never works, of course, and Minki rolls his eyes in response.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about.” Minki nudges Jonghyun. “Tell Dongho he knows what I’m talking about!”

Jonghyun just gives a noncommittal hum and kept his eyes on his phone. Minki sighs dramatically and turns back to Dongho.

“Seongwoo’s not going to confess first, you know,” Minki says. “You’ll have to make the first move.”

Dongho sighs. “I don’t even know if he feels the same way.”

That gets Jonghyun’s attention and the three of them stare at each other as they listen to the _You lost!_ sound play from Jonghyun’s phone.

“What.” Jonghyun deadpans, and Dongho doesn’t know what to say. “I can’t believe this.”

“Join the club,” Minki mutters. “Dongho, we love you, but God, you’re so stupid. Just confess. Trust me.”

He wants to. Dongho really wants to trust his friends. But he also _really fucking likes Seongwoo_ , and he really doesn’t want to risk their tentative friendship and have it go down the rabbit hole, never to be heard from again.

“I can’t,” Dongho says finally.

“Yes, you can,” Jonghyun assures him gently.

“I _can’t_ ,” Dongho repeats, with feeling.

Minki throws up his hands. “You’re an idiot.”

And that’s the end of the conversation.

(For now.)

 

 

* * *

 

 

“They sent me,” Minhyun announces as he walks into Dongho’s and Jonghyun’s apartment, “to try to get you to listen to reason. I’m not entirely sure why they chose _me_ of all people, but whatever.”

Dongho snorts. “You’re not allowed to lecture me on _feelings_ until you figure out whatever is going on between you and Jaehwan.”

Minhyun pauses. “That’s a valid point you have there.”

“So, you like him?”

“I don’t know.”

“But you’re sleeping together,” Dongho says. “Right?”

“We are.” Minhyun confirms. “But I don’t know.”

Dongho rolls his eyes. “Does he like you?”

Minhyun shrugs.

“Who knows.”

Dongho sighs.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The confession is a quiet, unexpected affair. Seongwoo joins him while Dongho is studying for his music exam, and they’re quiet for an hour before Seongwoo suddenly says:

“I like you.”

Dongho blinks at him while Seongwoo stares back, a determined look in his eyes.

“Oh,” Dongho says. “I like you too.” He smiles at Seongwoo’s elated face, ducking his head a little to hide his blush.

Later, Dongho walks Seongwoo back home, hesitating a little before he drops a short, sweet kiss on Seongwoo’s cheek.

“See you tomorrow?” he asks with a hopeful lilt.

Seongwoo grins widely. “See you tomorrow,” he says, and Dongho feels a surge of affection bloom in his chest at the warmth of Seongwoo’s tone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments + kudos make my day! :')
> 
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> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/iridescent__ong) | [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/gyulhyuck)


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